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An inside look at the disconnect in Mississippi State's passing game

Mississippi State defensive coordinator Bob Shoop said Texas A&M's Kellen Mond reminds him of a former SEC quarterback. See who.
Mississippi Clarion Ledger

Mississippi State wide receiver Deddrick Thomas dives for an errant pass in last year's Tax Slayer Bowl. Thomas said there is a communication issue with the Bulldogs' offense this season, which has led to even more passing woes. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)(Photo: Stephen B. Morton, AP)

STARKVILLE – With all the issues circling Mississippi State’s passing game this season, two wide receivers said one of the biggest problems is something as simple as communication.

Sophomore Osirus Mitchell and junior Deddrick Thomas don’t think coaches and players are on the same page. That doesn’t seem favorable seven games into what has become a disappointing season thus far for the Bulldogs (4-3, 1-3 SEC West).

“We have to have better communication,” Thomas said. “What we see on the field, we have to bring that back to the coaches and tell them so coach Moorhead or whoever can go back and give us better plays to execute.”

The issue is deeper than player-coach communication, though. Both Thomas and Mitchell were focal points on two different plays in the loss to LSU that showed there is also a serious player-player predicament.

On the first series of the game, Mitchell cut across the middle of the field with room to run if he were to make a catch – which came as no surprise to Mitchell.

“I feel like I’m open a lot,” he said. “The defenders are sort of slacking on us because they feel like we’re going to block the whole game. They’re not guarding us how they should be.”

Mississippi State receiver Osirus Mitchell said there might be a chemistry issue between Bulldog quarterbacks and the wide outs this year.(Photo: The Associated Press)

If that’s the case, then Mitchell should have taken better advantage of this instance. On a night in which senior quarterback Nick Fitzgerald made the wrong play too many times, he managed to make the right one then.

But Mitchell didn’t. Fitzgerald’s pass was a bit high, but Mitchell should’ve at least gotten a hand or two on it. Instead, he didn’t even attempt to. The pass was picked, and LSU took a 7-0 lead three plays later.

Having the worst season he’s ever had as a passer, Fitzgerald can’t afford to have his receivers let him down like that, according to State offensive coordinator Luke Getsy.

“If something seems off to a guy who is maybe not spinning it that day as good as he can, then it messes it up even more,” Getsy said.

A better angle shows how that ball was actually where it needed to be, despite every quarterback’s worst possible outcome: pressure up the middle pic.twitter.com/WzTKoGyPOn

Mitchell is State’s leading receiver with 14 catches and 251 yards. He’s produced those numbers despite what he called a communication and chemistry issue with the quarterback.

Mitchell said he doesn’t always know when or where Fitzgerald is going to toss it. And with the possibility of sophomore Keytaon Thompson coming into this week’s game to relieve the struggling Fitzgerald, Mitchell said the problem might still be prevalent.

“Whoever is in, the chemistry isn’t always there,” Mitchell said. “I wouldn’t say it’s less or more with any of the two.”

The chemistry certainly wasn’t there later in the game when Thomas ran a simple flat route. Fitzgerald had to make a high-low read, and he made the wrong one. Instead of throwing to a wide-open Thomas just to his left, he heaved it into crowded coverage down the middle of the field.

On the missed flat-route: a version of flat-curl. Fitz misses the only flat defender (who the read is based on) dropping, cover bust. But after that, has to rush after stepping up because Eiland lets the DT free to QB. Going to get popped so unloads at the only maroon he sees. pic.twitter.com/QDnTn9iNKA

Getsy said receivers must execute their assignments correctly to take more stress off the quarterback. That time, Thomas did, and he wasn’t rewarded with what would have been at least a first down reception.

But with all that has gone awry, Thomas believes there is still time to fix it. He said the offense could click as soon as the first quarter of Saturday's home game against No. 17 Texas A&M.

“Whenever it may be – sooner or later – it will come,” Thomas said. “And when it comes, I don’t see it leaving.”